The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by and for the Government of the United States of America for Governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon.
Load securing and release systems such as systems that are designed to release loads from aircraft, are typically constructed from multiple layers of flat nylon webbing. When these layers of webbing are in contact with each other, at the locations where the high forces are applied, a tremendous amount of heat is generated from compression, which can result in the nylon webbing melting and therefore failing prematurely. The maximum average safe load capability of a system when constructed of layered nylon webbing is about 70,000 pounds. However, there are situations in which loads as high as 200,000 pounds need to be secured and releasable at the same time.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved load securing and release system that can secure and releasably maintain loads as high as 200,000 pounds.
This invention features in one embodiment a load securing and release system, comprising a load carrying elongated web element having two end sections, one end section defining a first receiving structure, the other end section engaged through the first receiving structure and releasably connected on itself by a series of terminal receiving structures, and a series of intermediate engaging structures, wherein one engaging structure is engaged through each terminal receiving structure, and wherein all but one of the engaging structures is also releasably engaged with another engaging structure, and wherein the remaining engaging structure is releasably held to the web element by a release element, to provide a mechanical advantage for carrying heavy loads. The web element can be a line, rope, cord, true webbing, or any other elongated woven, braided or other strong, flexible element.
The first receiving structure preferably comprises a loop in the web element. The terminal receiving structures preferably each comprise a loop in the web element. The intermediate engaging structures also preferably each comprise a loop in the web element.
The release element preferably comprises a loop in the web element. Preferably, this loop is engaged through the remaining engaging structure. The release element may further comprise an anchor loop engaged with the web element, and a sacrifice cord connecting the anchor loop and the release element loop.
The terminal receiving structures may be of gradually increasing length from the first to the distal terminal receiving structure. The intermediate engaging structures may all be part of a diverging portion of the web element. The intermediate engaging structures may each comprise a loop in the diverging portion.
In one embodiment, there are three terminal receiving structures and three intermediate engaging structures.
In a more specific embodiment, the invention features a load securing and release system, comprising a load carrying elongated web element having two end sections, one end section defining a first receiving structure comprising a loop in the web element, the other end section engaged through the first receiving structure loop and releasably connected on itself by a series of terminal receiving structures each comprising a loop in the web element and wherein the terminal receiving structures are of gradually increasing length from the first to the distal terminal receiving structure, and a series of intermediate engaging structures each comprising a loop in the web element wherein the intermediate engaging structures each comprise a loop in the diverging portion that are all part of a diverging portion of the web element, wherein one engaging structure is engaged through each terminal receiving structure, and wherein all but one of the engaging structures is also releasably engaged with another engaging structure, and wherein the remaining engaging structure is releasably held to the web element by a release element that comprises a loop in the web element that is engaged through the remaining engaging structure, and wherein the release element further comprises an anchor loop engaged with the web element and a sacrifice cord connecting the anchor loop and the release element loop, to provide a mechanical advantage for carrying heavy loads.